Harsh Words in Hard Times

Job 2: 9-10 His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!” He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”

It’s easy to be nice to each other when things are going swell. But, as Job and his wife demonstrate in today’s passage, the rough times make family unity a bit more difficult. Job and his wife had just lost everything (their children, their livestock, their health), so one might be willing to forgive some harsh words in this instance. But that doesn’t mean that this interaction is going to make their suffering any easier.

What is a situation in your family life right now that might be increasing the difficulty of those relationships? How might you prepare yourself to deal kindly with your partner, your children, your parents, your siblings in light of that difficulty?